I have worked with her at the same department of pediatrics of a medical college nearby. As soon as she and her husband graduated from another university far from here, they applied for residency at that medical school.
She was a brilliant girl always with a smile on her face. When we were on charge of a case with severe Guillan Barre syndrome, the patient developed arrhythmia, a rare complication of that disease. In the cardiac catheterization for that patient, she has correctly pointed out a bit of akinetic area in the patient's heart without any knowledge of reading the contrast radiography of the heart. I was impressed at her sharp sensitivity to those things. She was always eager for the patients and has accumulated much knowledge and experience in medicine. She was a kind and generous person as well and was loved by everyone around her. If she had wanted it, she could have been a staff of the medical school.
In a few years, I quit that department and started career at a local hospital. Eventually, I had own practice where I had worked almost 20 years until retirement. In that period, we have just exchanged season's greeting cards in the new near's days. In them, she always wrote to me to play some chamber music together. Yes, she was a proficient pianist and had loved classical music.
About 13 years ago, we finally had a chance to play a portion of the Mozart's 1st piano quartet together with a violinist and a violist. The violinist was the person whom I had asked to play various pieces since her music university days while the violist was a patient for me who was studying that instrument at a school. There was the violinist's sister, another violinist, at the rehersal hall.
From left to right; the pianist, the violist, me, the sister of the violinist;another fine violine player, the violionist, after the rehearsal
After over almost 20 years of absence, she still looked lovely with the same shy smile even though a bit tired in the outlook if I could recall that meeting at present. We have talked something trivial and had a great fun time playing that piece together. In an hour or two, promising another ensemble in the near future, we have parted there. It seems she has suffered from some kind of cancer by that time. In several months, I have heard she closed her own clinic. I did not know such an ominous thing had occurred to her until I heard of her passing in December of 2008. I was really shocked to hear that. Too young to die. She was only 49 years of age at death.
My diary says I have listened to the last piece of the Four Last Songs by Richard Strauss at the night of the day before receiving that sad news from two sources at the same time. She might have struggled with her illness to live longer. But, I believe, she has reconciled with her fortune and has accepted it as this song expresses. In serenity and peace, hopefully.
I have missed the chance to attend the service for her. It was too late for me to do that. I hear their children have gone for med school after their parents. I am sure she wanted to see them to become doctors. She might have other things which she would like to do or some goals which she wanted to accomplish in her life. Everything has been abandoned by her illness. I only wish her rest in peace. I will follow her in some time anyway. Much gratitude to her being a colleague and a chamber music co-player even though it was only for a short period.
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